Looking For Love
by Bad Luck Novelist
Summary: After years of being seperated, can an old untold love rekindle? And if it does, will it survive the hardships of life?
1. Goodbye, Ash!

Ages: 15-Ash, 15-May  
  
- 1 -  
  
"You must leave!" the spirit said. It looked at him with big blue eyes, it's ears drooping.  
  
"Why?" Ash asked.  
  
"It will be for the best! A lot will come from it!"  
  
"B-but I-  
  
"Get on that horse and ride! Regret will come if you don't!"  
  
"." Ash looked at Night Breeze. The black stallion was two years old. It had skinny legs, and was smaller then the others.  
  
Ash had felt it deserved an owner, which it had none. The stallion wasn't wanted by anyone. He chose it from all the rest.  
  
He had got Night a year ago. "I'll leave," Ash said.  
  
After getting the saddle on Night, Ash got on it. "Good luck."  
  
Night trotted, then galloped, away. The spirit sighed and left.  
  
"WHAT?" Mr. Ketchum yelled. Mrs. Ketchum was crying.  
  
"A-Ash! I-he-oh, I don't know where he went to!" she said. Their only child was gone.  
  
"I can't believe this!" he said, "I am going to have every man and woman on the police force looking for that boy!"  
  
"Why would he vanish like this?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"May, where are you going!" Mrs. Oak asked. They were at the stables. May's white mare Arctic Flyer was becoming restless.  
  
"To look for Ash!" May said. She hopped on top. "I don't know how long I'll be gone. Good-bye!"  
  
Arctic trotted out on one-year-old legs. Mrs. Oak stood there by the stalls, praying that her daughter would be fine out on her own with no more then her mare. A sheet of concern covered Pallet Town. Two out of the three children that the entire town knew had disappeared. The town was crawling with police officers.  
  
It sounded like everyone had died in the town it was so silent. Pokemon stayed still, and all movement stopped.  
  
Nighttime fell over the world. Ash stopped Night Breeze. He looked around the surrounding area. It was nothing but valley for miles.  
  
"Let's stay here for the night, Night Breeze," he said. Night snorted.  
  
"Naaaah!"  
  
"It'll be alright, Night!" Ash rubbed the horse's head in between its ears. He climbed down. He looked in the direction that Pallet Town was in. He knew something was wrong, but refused to go back.  
  
May stopped Arctic Flyer near a stream. Arctic drank softly from the flowing water. She looked around for the black stallion. No luck came.  
  
"ASH!" she called, "AAAAAAAAASH!" May looked around.  
  
No one was around. Tears started pouring down her cheeks. She had searched all day for Ash, and hadn't found him.  
  
Slowly, she got off Arctic. She curled up by a tree, and continued crying. There, she had no one to comfort her.  
  
Pallet Town wept in sadness. After months of searching, there had been no sign of either teenager. The town was having a bad time, and only one person could help them. 


	2. After Five Long Years

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May  
  
- 2 -  
  
May sat on the ground in the forest. She had given up on looking for Ash three years ago. Arctic nibbled on grass nearby.  
  
She had decided to stay in the forest and study the Charmanders there. It was peaceful at the moment.  
  
"Naaah!" Arctic whinnied nervously. May looked up from her book to see a black stallion thundering through the forest.  
  
It stopped in front of her. She tore her eyes from the powerful beast, to the rider. He was a fairly muscular man of twenty years.  
  
He had raven hair, and chestnut eyes. "I'm sorry if I interrupted anything," he said apologetically.  
  
"No, you didn't," May said. His voice sounded familiar, yet, not familiar at the same time.  
  
"What's you name?" he asked. He climbed down.  
  
"Oh, it's May," she said, standing up. She had to look up to look him in the face. "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what's your name?"  
  
"Mine?" he asked, "It's Ash Ketchum."  
  
"A-Ash?"  
  
"Yes.why?"  
  
"Ash, it's me! May Oak! From Pallet Town!"  
  
Ash went wide-eyed. "M-May? You look wonderful!" he said.  
  
"So do you!" May said, "You look like you're as tall as a tower!"  
  
"I'm not much taller then you," Ash said.  
  
"Why did you run away like that 5 years ago?" she asked.  
  
"I had to, May," he said flatly, "How have you been?"  
  
"Good. I've been here three years studying the Charmanders," she said. They sat down. "You?"  
  
"I've been fine. Just been traveling around," Ash said. May lit the fire as the dark crept in. "What have you learned about the Charmanders?"  
  
"Oh, I've learned their eating habits and stuff. Breeding, play stuff."  
  
"Play stuff?" Ash said.  
  
"Charmanders when they play, like a child playing baseball."  
  
"Oh. Continue."  
  
"I also learned that they can be pains."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, at first they wouldn't stop watching me! Whatever I did, they watched! I ride Arctic, they watch! I get dressed, they watch! I brush my hair, they watch! I go swimming at the lake, they watch!" May said. Ash laughed.  
  
"That's perfectly normal!" he laughed, "When a pokemon has never had contact with a human, when they do, they tend to be a little curious!"  
  
"Now they're going to be back to watching again."  
  
"Why is that?"  
  
"They're right behind you." Ash turned around. Row after row after row of Charmander stood there. Some crowded around Night Breeze. One-a baby-walked over to Ash.  
  
It sat on his lap, grinning. "Charmander!" it said.  
  
"May, am I gonna have to put up with this now?" Ash moaned.  
  
"Yes," May said. She got up and went over to Arctic. She brushed the mare. A few Charmanders walked over and sat on the ground by her.  
  
"May, how do you get rid of the Charmanders?" he asked. Charmanders now surrounded him.  
  
"Leave that to me." May said, "Charmanders! You want cookies?"  
  
The Charmanders ran over to her. May took out a box of poke cookies and gave each Charmander three cookies. The baby Charmander stayed on Ash's lap.  
  
"I think you have a new friend now, Ash!" May laughed.  
  
"Just what I wanted!" Ash said sarcastically.  
  
"Shut up," she said. The Charmanders waved good-bye and left. The baby one stayed behind.  
  
"May, can I get some sleep?" Ash yawned.  
  
"Who can't?"  
  
"I didn't mean it that way!"  
  
"Yes, of course. Let's both go to sleep."  
  
Ash and May went to sleep, the baby Charmander curling up next to Ash, it's tiny flame dimming slightly.  
  
"Good morning May," Ash yawned. The sun rose above the horizon.  
  
"Morning," she said. Charmander yawned.  
  
"Oh, can I tell you something May?" he asked.  
  
"Of course you can!"  
  
"I, ah, I love you May." She dropped her book. Ash's eyes were WIDE. He was clearly terrified.  
  
"Ash.!" May looked at him. Charmander stayed silent. He's hiding something. she thought. "Ash, you're not telling me something."  
  
"May, you don't know what I've been going through! The pain I've been in for 5 years was HORRIBLE! It was-"  
  
"Beyond any kind of physical pain?"  
  
"Yes! How do you know?"  
  
"Ash, do you even know why I left Pallet Town 5 years ago?"  
  
"No.why did you leave?"  
  
"I left to find you!"  
  
"Me.! Why?"  
  
"I care about you! When you disappeared without a trace, I got worried! It was two years before I gave up!"  
  
"I-"  
  
"Do you now what happened to Pallet Town?"  
  
"No, what?"  
  
"From what I heard, Pallet Town isn't functioning like it should! It practically went into lockdown! Everyone there is totally devastated!"  
  
"Devastated.! Why?"  
  
"Ash, you are the town's greatest pokemon trainer! They ain't going to act like it doesn't matter!"  
  
"That means.the town will never recover if they still haven't." Ash thought it was crazy.  
  
"Yes, Ash! We both have to return to Pallet Town so they can pull through the pain!"  
  
Ash looked at May. "I'm never going to forgive myself for this! I ruined the town I was raised in! We're going back to that town as soon as humanly possible!" 


	3. Grace

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace  
  
- 3 -  
  
"How far away is Pallet Town?" Ash asked.  
  
"Um, thousands of miles!" May said, "It'll take days to get there!"  
  
"I know." Ash said.  
  
"Ash, we have to-" May suddenly collapsed to the ground. Ash hurried over to her.  
  
"May, what's up with you?" Ash looked around. Jessie and James stood by a gray van.  
  
"Nighty-night, twerp," Jessie said, taking a dart gun out and shooting it at him. He fainted, just like May did.  
  
Half an hour later, the van bumped along the roads. Jessie and James sat in the front seat, talking. May and Ash were in the back, fast asleep. May woke up.  
  
"Jessie, I feel bad for the twerp.but also for poor Grace."  
  
"And why is that?"  
  
"All she wants is a child of her own, but why him.?"  
  
"How should I know!"  
  
May frowned. 'Grace' wants a child, so she came to Team Rocket to get Ash.why?  
  
She figured it out. Ash has no children, but Grace wants him to give her a child.! "Grace wants a baby.and she wants Ash to be the father!" May breathed.  
  
"James, go in and tell Grace we're here!"  
  
"Yes Jessie."  
  
The doors were opened. May pretended to be asleep. Someone lifted her up.  
  
"Who's the girl?" a feminine voice asked.  
  
"The t-I mean, one of Ash's friends," Jessie said, remembering not to call him 'twerp' around her.  
  
"Where is Ash?"  
  
"He'll be brought in."  
  
"I want him in my room, Jessie. Me and him have a little business to take care of, you know."  
  
"Of course."  
  
May opened her eyes a few minutes later. No one was around. 'Odd.'  
  
Ash was on his stomach on the bed. Grace walked over and sat on the edge of the bed. He had woken up and was looking at her in confusion.  
  
Grace had long blonde hair and blue eyes. She smiled at him. "Why am I here, Grace?" Ash asked.  
  
"You, Ash, are here to give me what I want," Grace said.  
  
"Which is.?"  
  
"A child."  
  
"A.child.! I am not!" Ash yelled.  
  
"I want one, so you will give me one!" she said.  
  
"If I agreed to that every time it was said to me, I'd have 6 kids already!" he said, "No!"  
  
"You have to!"  
  
"I'm outta here!" Ash got up.  
  
"Guards!" Three guards pinned him down. "I'm so ever sorry, Ash. I have to do this."  
  
She tied him to the bed (not very original, is it?). "Grace you-" (Ash said something that was very, VERY bad!) "-I don't know why I ever trusted you!"  
  
"Ash, you got to watch your language!" Grace said, "But.now that you can't get away, you have to do what I say!"  
  
"I'm tied down. I couldn't, even if I wanted to, which I don't!" Ash growled.  
  
"When you agree, I'll untie you!" she said.  
  
"I wouldn't agree to help you adopt a child, let alone this!" he snapped.  
  
"Who said anything about adopting? Or.anything else?" Grace asked, faking confusion.  
  
"Both of us know I have no children, and by the way you just had to tie me to this bed, you aren't going to adopt one!" Ash snapped at her, "Stop playing me for a fool."  
  
"You're smarter then you appear, Ash." Grace said, "but, still, you're not getting the full picture."  
  
"Full picture.! GRACE! HOW DARE YOU? YOU KNOW I AM NOTHING LIKE THAT!" Ash glared at Grace, who looked at him calmly.  
  
"But I know how to get you to do what I want." Grace said. She fell silent. Ash could hear someone screaming down the hall. He knew who, too.  
  
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE WITH MAY!" Ash snapped at her. She looked at him.  
  
"My brother is.taking good care of her." she said.  
  
"Keep him away from her!" he said.  
  
"Say you'll do what I want, then I'll do it."  
  
"Fine! Whatever you want! Anything! Just.don't let him touch her!"  
  
Grace left silently. After a few minutes, she returned, with May following behind her like an obedient puppy. May looked at Ash. She ran over. "Ash! You're alright!"  
  
"I don't care about myself, I care about you! Are you all right?" Ash asked.  
  
"I wasn't, but now I am!" she said, "Ash, why are you tied up?"  
  
"May, I got some VERY bad news," he said.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Er, Grace doesn't just want a baby."  
  
"What does that mean Ash?"  
  
"May, figure it out. She wants a child. I don't have any kids, and she doesn't want to adopt one."  
  
May looked at him (by the way, she at first knew, but forgot in her flood of worry, LOL). Her eyes went wide. "Ash, no! You can't!"  
  
"I have no choice!" he said, "I don't like it anymore then you do!"  
  
"Grace?" May walked over to the other woman.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I have to inform you of something."  
  
"What?" Grace asked again.  
  
"Well, when you have a baby, you, ah, lose your figure."  
  
"WHAT? REALLY!"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"Wait a minute.how would you know?"  
  
"A friend of mine."  
  
"What am I going to do now.?"  
  
"You want a baby?"  
  
"Duh!"  
  
"Well, uh," May started, "Oh! Why don't you let, uh, let Ash have the child with someone else, and he let you adopt it?"  
  
"That's an.odd idea, but logical, in a way. Well, let me think it over a few minutes. Go talk to Jessie or something for a few moments."  
  
"Ash, I'll be back in a minute," May said. She walked out, Ash being extremely confused. Grace walked over and sat down on the bed next to him.  
  
'She's right.but, maybe I'll tease him a bit before telling him he doesn't have to.' Grace thought.  
  
"Ash, you have got to work with me!" she said. He looked at her.  
  
"Bite me!" Ash snapped. Grace kissed him, teasingly, on the lips. He squirmed, wanting to get away from her.  
  
"Come on, Ash. Loosen up a bit!" Grace said.  
  
"I prefer not to, thank you very much!" Ash hissed. He glared at her.  
  
"I have made my decision," she said.  
  
"Huh?" Ash said, mystified. Grace looked at him.  
  
"Ash, your girlfriend-" (Ash turned a bright shade of red) "-well, she can tell you."  
  
Grace untied him. "You can go Ash!"  
  
He looked at her. "You better not try this again," Ash said.  
  
"I won't," she said. Ash stood up and stretched. Grace watched him.  
  
"Ash!" May was with Jessie and James, sitting in the kitchen. Ash walked over, Grace walking behind him.  
  
"Let's go," she said, standing up. They all went outside. Ash couldn't believe it. Night Breeze was in the yard. It grazed on the grass.  
  
"Night Breeze!" he said. Night looked up from the grass. It trotted over.  
  
"Bye," Grace said. Ash helped May up onto Night Breeze. He got up behind her. Night started galloping.  
  
May leaned back against Ash. He put one arm around her, and held the reins with the other hand. "May, what did you tell Grace?"  
  
"Oh, I suggested to Grace that instead of having the child herself, and if it's mandatory for you to be the one to have this child with her, that you have the child with someone else! And she fell for it!"  
  
Ash looked at her thoughtfully. "One tiny problem though," he said.  
  
"What?" she asked.  
  
"Grace is going to pester me, saying 'Well, how's it going so far?' 'Is the baby ok!' 'Why's it taking so long?'" Ash said, imitating Grace. May laughed.  
  
"I don't think that's what's bugging you about it," she said. Ash frowned slightly.  
  
"Well, to be honest, it isn't." Ash said, "I teeny tiny part of me wants to have a baby."  
  
"Oh, Ash, you want to be a father!"  
  
"Well, DUH!" he said. She laughed and kissed him on the cheek. The forest came into view.  
  
"Charmander!" Night had to stop to keep from trampling the Charmanders. May got down and got the pokemon to move. Ash got down too.  
  
They went back to the camp. 


	4. Pallet Town

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace  
  
- 4 -  
  
"How much farther?" Ash asked. Night and Arctic were starting to get tired.  
  
"Just a little," May replied. They went one hour more before they saw Pallet Town.  
  
"What has happened here?" Ash looked around the barren streets.  
  
"Told you," May said. He hopped down, the Thud! echoing in the street.  
  
"IS ANYONE HERE?" Ash yelled. People peeked out their windows. They came out and crowded around.  
  
Two people he recognized instantly: Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum. Ash looked at all the pale faces. "Everyone, 5 years ago a 15-year-old boy left here- vanished- right?"  
  
"A-and a girl," an old man said. Ash smiled at all of them.  
  
"Be prepared to be amazed, because you are looking at Ms. May Oak and Mr. Ash Ketchum, the two who went missing!" They all gasped.  
  
"LIAR!" A man strode through the crowd. "He was never as tall as you!"  
  
"Gary!" May said, coming forward and smiling because of his stupidity, "It's been 5 years! He grew up a bit!'  
  
"May?" he looked at her. He smiled. "May!"  
  
"A-Ash, my little boy!" Mrs. Ketchum hugged him, tears stinging her eyes. Ash laughed.  
  
"I'm not 'little' anymore, Mom!" he said.  
  
"Don't do that again! Disappearing for 5 years!" she said.  
  
"But look what happened to me for it!" he said. She gasped.  
  
A woman walked up to him. "Um, Ash, uh, sorry for the stuff I said years ago." she said.  
  
"No problem," he said, dismissing it.  
  
"Ash, will you help us build this town back up?" Mr. Ketchum asked.  
  
*****Two months, and one week later***** "Ash, you did it!" May said happily. Pallet Town recovered and was back to normal, but.  
  
"I fell uneasy for some reason." Ash said. May frowned. He shook his head. "Maybe a dip in the ocean will help."  
  
Ash retreated into the house. He went to his room and got his swimsuit on. He grabbed a towel and ran down the stairs.  
  
He got on Night. They got to the ocean in no time. Gabrielle, the woman who apologized to Ash, stood nearby with two of her friends.  
  
"I'll catch up with you two later," she said. They shrugged and left. Gabrielle walked over and sat down on the shore. She watched him interestedly.  
  
"What are ya doing, Ash?" she asked. He looked at her.  
  
"What does it look like?" he snapped.  
  
"Geez, sorry! I just asked a question and you go and try to bite my head off!" Gabrielle said, "What is your problem?"  
  
"." Ash frowned slightly. "Sorry Gab. I don't know why I'm in such a bad mood today. I thought it would help to go swimming, but I guess it isn't."  
  
"Yeah, it isn't," Gabrielle said. She jumped in surprise. Ash had totally disappeared!  
  
"I'm right here." She looked to the right. He was still in the water, but by her now. "Why is it so-different-around here?"  
  
"Different? I really don't know." she said, frowning.  
  
"Gab, you have lived here the whole time! You MUST have noticed some difference!" Ash said.  
  
"Well, the police force has dropped considerably, and when I say that, I mean their will to keep the crime rate down, and many pokemon has been taken from the lab. There haven't been as many children becoming pokemon trainers, too."  
  
"Dang, I am going to hate myself for making that happen. Even though it has been a few months with me here, it still hasn't fully became normal, and I don't know why," Ash said, musing over the reasons why it would be like that.  
  
"Well, I got to go. I told a few of my friends that I would catch up in a few," she said, getting up. Ash got out of the water. He winced when water dripped into his eyes.  
  
"Whatever," he said. Gabrielle looked at him. He took Night Breeze's reins and pulled. Night obediently followed him.  
  
"Ash, I don't mean to go into anything I shouldn't, but why did you leave?" Gabe asked.  
  
"I had to."  
  
"You had to?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
They walked towards the end of the block. "You know, it's a rarity to see you by yourself, because you're usually with May," Gabe commented.  
  
Ash shrugged. "So?"  
  
"Is she your girlfriend or something?" Gabe asked. He looked at her.  
  
"You could say that.why you asking?" he asked. Gabrielle shrugged  
  
"No real reason." She said. They were in front of the concert hall. Gabrielle looked at him. "I know this is improper to say, because of you dating May and stuff, but you don't look too bad," she said.  
  
Ash shook his head. "You never change," he said.  
  
"What's that mean?" she asked.  
  
"You always think about what people look like, before you think about who they are inside. And you judge people too quickly."  
  
"I do?"  
  
"Yes, you did years ago, I'm not sure about now, but you probably still do."  
  
Gabe walked into the concert hall, thinking about what he said. Ash climbed onto Night and went home.  
  
He went into the house and trotted up the stairs. "May?" he said.  
  
No response came. Ash knocked on the door to her bedroom. Still no response. He frowned. "Where is that woman?" he muttered.  
  
The door opened and shut downstairs. He looked down the stairs to see who was there. "May, where were you?" he asked.  
  
"Outside," she said, looking at him, "in the garden that your mom has."  
  
"Where is everyone?"  
  
"Beats me," May said, going upstairs. She gave him a small hug, getting wet in the process.  
  
"May, why don't we go out for dinner tonight?" he suggested. She looked at him.  
  
"Ok, but I hope you will wear something different," May giggled. Ash gave her an extremely annoyed look.  
  
"DUH!" he said. He walked into his room and slammed the door shut.  
  
"Mrs. Ketchum, why is it that I say one thing, then Ash gets irritated and yells at me for it?" May asked. Mrs. Ketchum looked at her. They were in the living room.  
  
"Well, he's like his father. Usually quite cheerful, but when he's nervous." Mrs. Ketchum trailed off.  
  
"Why would Ash be nervous?" May thought. Nothing that was real nerve wrecking was happening, as far as she knew.  
  
"Let's go get you prettied up!" Mrs. Ketchum said, changing the subject. May looked at her.  
  
"Prettied up?" she said.  
  
"Yep, prettied up." May stood up and followed Mrs. Ketchum upstairs. They went into Mrs. and Mr. Ketchum's bedroom.  
  
"What are we going to do?" May asked uncertainly.  
  
"Let's start with blush." Mrs. Ketchum took out a small brush and a round container. She opened it and pressed the brush against the reddish colored powder.  
  
After 30 minutes of make-up, Delia hurried May into the bathroom. "How do you want your hair done?" Delia asked.  
  
"Slightly wavy, I guess," May said. She watched Delia take things out. "How long will this take?"  
  
"Just a couple of minutes," Delia stated. She started fiddling with everything.  
  
"You said a couple of minutes!" May said. After an hour of sitting there, doing nothing, while Delia did her hair, she started getting irritated.  
  
"Let's pick your dress," Delia said, ignoring her. She walked out, May walking behind her.  
  
"Which one should I wear?" she asked. They were back in the bedroom. Delia took out a black dress. It looked like it would go to her ankles, and it was a spaghetti-strap dress.  
  
"Er," May said. All her life, she had been picky on what she wore. Delia frowned at her.  
  
"Come on, you have to make up your mind. This one? Yes? No?" she asked.  
  
"Well, I guess." May thought about it.  
  
"Oh, by the way, it does have a jacket that goes with it." Delia took that out and held it up also. It was black also, and had buttons up the front.  
  
"Alright," May said. She took the dress and jacket. Delia left her to change.  
  
"Where are you two going for dinner?" Mr. Ketchum asked. Ash looked at him.  
  
"Oh, this restaurant that is very expensive. It's an Italian one. I'm gonna go broke if I go on like this!" Ash laughed.  
  
"Just think about having a good time, and don't mess up when the time comes for you-know-what!" Mr. Ketchum said. Ash grinned at him.  
  
"I won't!" he said. Ash looked around. He smiled. "Oh! May!"  
  
He got up from a chair. May hugged him. All of a sudden, a thought hit Ash. "Oh no!" he breathed.  
  
"What's the matter?" Mr. Ketchum mouthed.  
  
"I don't have a car!" Ash said silently. Mr. Ketchum took keys out of his pocket and gave them to Ash, while trying to keep them hidden. "Thanks!"  
  
"I saw that!" Delia scolded Mr. Ketchum, who cringed, then laughed. May seemed to not of noticed.  
  
"Er, May, we have to go. If you must have me in the death grip, then do it in the car!" Ash said, wincing at her tight hug.  
  
"Sorry Ash!" she said. She let go and stood there sheepishly.  
  
"Let's go," he said, grinning at her. Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum looked at each other.  
  
May took his hand and followed him out.  
  
*********1 hour later*********** "Ash, what are you looking for?" May asked. He was looking through all his pockets, finding nothing in all of them.  
  
"Blast, where is it.! Aha! I found it!" Ash took something out of his jacket pocket.  
  
"What's that?" she asked. Ash looked at her. He opened the small thing, then shut it and put it back. "Why did you put it back?"  
  
"You'll see later," was the response she got. Frowning, she looked at him.  
  
"Why?" she asked. Ash looked at her, then shook his head.  
  
"You'll see later," he repeated.  
  
"You can be one mysterious man when you want to be, Ash," May said, smiling slightly, "But you were that way when we were small!" Ash looked at her.  
  
"That's a first," he said, grinning at her. The waiter came over to them.  
  
"Are you ready for the check?" he asked. Ash glanced at him.  
  
"Oh, yes." He took the check from the waiter. May looked at him. She took it from him and looked at it.  
  
"2,000?" she said in disbelief.  
  
"Yeah," Ash said, "I knew I would go broke here!"  
  
He laughed slightly, shook his head, and took a checkbook out. "Give me that back a minute."  
  
May handed it back to him. He looked at it and wrote down the amount. "I need to see your ID," the waiter said distastefully.  
  
"Uh," Ash said. He looked at May. She frowned at him.  
  
"Don't you have one?" she asked. Ash shrugged.  
  
"I don't think s-what a minute!" Ash took something red out of his pocket-his poke dex. "I've always been using this as my ID or license!"  
  
He flipped it open and pushed a few buttons. The screen showed the info, and other things. "That's your poke dex? It looks different," May said.  
  
"They made a new one."  
  
"I didn't know that. This doesn't fit. We're in a fancy restaurant, and you are showing the waiter your poke dex!"  
  
The waiter looked at the poke dex, then took the check and walked away. Ash put it away, then stood up. He helped May up.  
  
"What's that?" May asked. Ash pulled something out from his pocket. They were in the 'Cove'. He trees were so tightly together, that privacy was never the problem in the area.  
  
"Something," he said. He revealed the item of mystery-a ring. An engagement ring.  
  
"What.?" May looked at him.  
  
"Will you marry me?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," she said.  
  
The wedding was a few months later. They made the decision to leave Pallet Town forever. 


	5. Return To the Forest

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace - 5 -  
  
Ash and May rode on Night Breeze. Arctic Flier trotted beside them. "May, I am so sorry for this," he said.  
  
"Ash, for the hundredth time, it's all right! It can wait until we get back to Charmander Forest."  
  
"Oh yeah.the Charmanders." Ash frowned.  
  
"What is it?" May asked.  
  
"It's that.never mind, May."  
  
"Ash, come on, tell me what's up," May looked at him.  
  
"It's just that those Charmanders watch my every move! It's bothering me right now."  
  
"I think you are getting nervous, Ash!"  
  
"Actually, yes, I am.I don't know why, pokemon don't understand it."  
  
"I wouldn't say that, Ash." May said, "Pokemon know more then thought."  
  
Ash frowned slightly. He shook his head. Night pricked its ears forward. The sun was falling behind the horizon for nighttime to come.  
  
The Charmanders gave them a happy greeting. The baby Charmander was bigger then before. May climbed down, the pokemon crowding around her.  
  
"Chaaaaaaaaaar! / We missed you!" "Char! /Hello!" "'Ander! /Hi!"  
  
"How you all doing?" May said. They all jumped around happily. Ash carefully got down.  
  
It was hard to get away from the pokemon, there was so many of them. After some of them left, Ash helped May get everything set up.  
  
"Hey, Charmanders?" May got down on her knees in front of the Charmanders. They crowded around her; curious to what's happening. "This might sound a little odd, but can you stay in your little caves for the night?"  
  
They looked at her. Some nodded and left. Others looked at her in confusion.  
  
"Char? /Why?" they asked.  
  
"Uh, it's kind of hard to explain," May said. They nodded and left also. No Charmanders were left. She knew there would be no sign of them until morning.  
  
"Ash, the Charmanders left." She walked over to him. He looked at her.  
  
"Huh? How'd you do that?" he asked, "I can't!!!"  
  
"I asked them to go away," she said, laughing, sitting down next to him.  
  
"That's all you had to do?"  
  
"Yes." He gave her a big smile. They kissed, finally having the privacy they wanted! She put her arms around his neck.  
  
"Char char? /What 'cha doin'?" A group of baby Charmanders walked across the clearing, over to them.  
  
May felt Ash cringe. His hands were balled into fist, in anger. She had a strong hunch that he wasn't mad at the Charmanders.  
  
'This is not good...' May thought. Ash sat up.  
  
"May, I thought you said you got rid of them?" he said calmly.  
  
"I thought I did! These must not of been over there." she said. The Charmanders looked at them.  
  
"Char? /Don't you like us?" they asked. May frowned.  
  
"Of course we like you!" she said, "This just isn't a very good time."  
  
"Char? Charmander? /Do you want us to leave then?" they asked.  
  
"Uh, that would be a good idea." May said. All of them, except one, left. It tugged on her sleeve. "What?"  
  
"Charmander." It looked at her sheepishly. She stood up and followed it into the trees.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"Can I please stay? Charmander asked.  
  
"Why would you want to do that?"  
  
"I want to learn about humans!" it piped up. May looked at Charmander thoughtfully.  
  
"And?"  
  
"All the other Charmanders laugh at me, and say I can't, but you won't laugh at me, and you help me!" it squeaked. May smiled at the pokemon.  
  
"You are one curious pokemon!" she said, "but."  
  
She frowned. To tell Charmander it was ok to stick around, but stay hidden, would mean lying to Ash, and she just married him! Shaking her head, she looked in the direction of the small clearing.  
  
"So? Can I?" it asked. May frowned again. She wished she could say it could, without having to lie to the man she loves.  
  
"Well.are you really sure?"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"Alright, go ahead. But act like you're guarding the area, 'k?"  
  
"Alright!" May walked back to Ash, who looked at her in confusion.  
  
"What was that about?" he asked.  
  
"I'll tell you later, Ash," she said, sitting down next to him. He glanced at her curiously.  
  
"Why?" he asked. May looked at him.  
  
"Because," she said. Ash frowned.  
  
"May, you are hiding something." he said, his voice slightly lower then usual, "Tell me!"  
  
"No."  
  
"Please?" He gave her a look.  
  
"No! Ash, forget it, please!" She nuzzled him.  
  
"Fine!" he said. Ash hugged her. May looked at him. She took his Cascade badge. "Hey! Give that back!"  
  
"Sorry, I can't do that!" She jumped up. Ash got up, too.  
  
"Give it back to me!" he snarled.  
  
"No!" May laughed. "You gotta catch me first!" Ash had to run after her for even the slightest chance of getting the badge back.  
  
After what felt like half an hour, she lost him. May went back to the clearing, out of breath.  
  
Ash gave up entirely. Before he stepped into the clearing, he spotted May. He got behind her and pinned her to the ground. "What the-"  
  
She squirmed. "You gonna give me my badge back now?" he asked.  
  
"No way!" May snapped playfully at him. Ash turned her over. They were just inches apart.  
  
"May." he growled, "If you give me that badge I won't have to hurt you."  
  
She smirked. "You wouldn't hurt me if your life depended on it!" she said.  
  
"I seriously will if you don't give me that badge!"  
  
"Find it, I ain't telling ya where it is!"  
  
"Tell me!"  
  
"No!" May grinned. Ash looked at her.  
  
"What the heck.!" May had the badge in between her teeth! "You're going to swallow that thing if you don't spit it out soon."  
  
May shook her head, with a look that said 'Nice try, Ash, but it didn't work!'. He frowned.  
  
"I hate you," Ash said.  
  
"You don't hate me!"  
  
"Yes I do!"  
  
"Ash, you need to practice lying, because, right now, it ain't working!" May said.  
  
"You're right.I'm not very good at it!"  
  
"You agree with me! Yay!"  
  
Ash smiled slightly and kissed her softly on the lips. Afterwards, May spit the badge out.  
  
Charmander looked on in the bushes. Both Ash ad May were startled when it fell out. Ash's last sliver of hope was torn to bits and pieces.  
  
He stood up hurriedly. "I'm getting sick of this," he muttered.  
  
"Ash, wait a minute!" May got up and ran after him. She frowned. The dark didn't help in trying to find him.  
  
The trees cleared to reveal a lake. May ran over to the shore. "Why did you run off like that?" she asked.  
  
Ash looked at her. He looked slightly paler, but it could have been because of the light that reflected from the silver orb in the night sky. "Forget it, May."  
  
"You know I can't do that, Ash!" she said. He muttered. "I got an idea."  
  
"What?" he snapped.  
  
"Follow me," she chirped. Ash blinked, then shrugged and trotted behind her. Night Breeze snorted. It stood nearby, with Arctic Flyer. "Get on!"  
  
"Huh, why?" he questioned.  
  
"Just do it!"  
  
"Fine, fine! Yesh!" Ash climbed up on Night Breeze. May got up in front of him, and took the reins in her hands.  
  
Night Breeze galloped through the trees. Ash looked at May curiously. "Where are we going?" he asked.  
  
"You'll see."  
  
It was half an hour before they made it to the town. Night slowed to a trot. May stopped the stallion in front of a tall building and climbed down. "Stay here, I'll be riiiiight back!" she said, going inside.  
  
Ash blinked, got down also, and went in after her, after a few minutes. "Ash, I said to stay out there!" May snapped at him.  
  
He gave her the 'I'm sorry!' look. "I was just wanted to know what you were going to do!" he muttered.  
  
May sighed. "Ash, you never change!"  
  
She turned to the woman behind a counter and was handed keys. May sighed. "I guess it was actually good that you came in, so I don't have to go get ya!"  
  
Ash gave her a confused glance. "Is this the young man you mentioned?" the woman asked.  
  
"Sadly, yes," May said sourly. Ash gave her a dirty look.  
  
"I'm not deaf you know!" he barked. May laughed.  
  
"Duh you're not!" she said. She trotted through the lobby and into the hallways, Ash running to catch up. May unlocked a door when they got to the 100,000,000,1st (no, not really, just 101) floor.  
  
The bad thing was the elevator only went to floor 50, and couldn't go any higher. Ash wheezed, his legs aching dearly. He collapsed onto the floor. May pulled him right back up. His legs didn't seem to want to hold his weight, because once again he collapsed.  
  
He grabbed hold of the side of the.bed? Ash looked at May with that curious look again. "You're mean to me!" he said.  
  
May pulled him up onto the bed. "Tsk tsk, I go through all this trouble, and you say that? We're here for a reason, you know!"  
  
"Why?" Ash asked. May played with his dark black hair.  
  
"Because. Hey, Ash, guess what."  
  
"What?"  
  
"No chars!" Ash looked at her. He grinned. 


	6. Office Jobs, Prizm Cars

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace, 30-Vince  
  
- 6 -  
  
"Ash, shouldn't you wear something nicer.?" May looked at Ash, who was on Night Breeze. He had a plain black T-shirt on, with his jeans and pure black gym shoes.  
  
"Naw." he said, "My boss said I could wear whatever I wanted."  
  
With a cheerful wave he left for town. Night trotted through the trees to the town. Ash got off and put it in the stables and walked inside the building.  
  
"You must be the new worker." Ash looked at the person who spoke. It was a man around Ash's age. He had purple hair, his eyes green.  
  
"Yeah," Ash said, sitting down at his desk. They had to work together, he guessed.  
  
"Good morning, Ash!" Vince walked in. Vince was Ash's boss.  
  
"Hey Vince, wazzup?' Ash said, smiling.  
  
"You are suppose to address your co-workers by their last names, KETCHUM," the man said.  
  
"I see you met Brian Watts," Vince said.  
  
"Yeah," Ash said sourly. He flipped the switch on the computer and turned it on.  
  
*************3 days later**************** "A desk is for computers and working materials, not your shoes!" Brian snapped. Ash had his feet up on his desk, the keyboard on his lap.  
  
"And no one cares!" Ash said.  
  
"Put the keyboard on the desk!" he said.  
  
"Two words: GET BENT!"  
  
Vince came in, beaming at Ash. "Hahaha! I never thought of that!"  
  
"Section B-65 says that is not prohibited!' Brian hissed.  
  
"Strict," Ash muttered. He continued his work.  
  
At 3:00 P.M., Ash got on Night Breeze. He saw a used black Chevy Prizm. It was three years old. It was dull and been unused for who knew how long. FOR SALE.ANY PRICE.CALL. a sign by it said.  
  
Ash got off Night and walked over, the stallion trotting behind. He looked at the windshield, the sides, and the engine. He couldn't believe that such a car could have so many problems in the engine, and look perfectly fine!  
  
He rang up the owner, and found out it was a woman. Humming, he waited for her to answer to his question. "Well, how much would you pay for it?" she asked.  
  
"Um, how much did it cost at first?"  
  
"20,000 dollars."  
  
"Hmmm.how about 15,000?"  
  
"15,000? That sounds good. I'll come down right now."  
  
"Before you do, will you take a check?"  
  
"Yes." The phone went back to the ringing. Ash waited by Night Breeze. A car pulled up by the Prizm. It was a Thunderbird. He looked up to see someone get out.  
  
"Mr. Ketchum?" it was that woman from on the phone! She had long red hair up in a ponytail with a green bow, that matched her eyes,  
  
"That's me!" Ash said, "What's happened to this thing?"  
  
"My ex-husband, that's what! He destroyed the engine!"  
  
"I wouldn't be surprised if the stuff on the under side is shot.may I?" Ash asked. She nodded. He crawled under the car and looked. "Yep, I was right!"  
  
He came out from under it and got up. After brushing off, he wrote something down and gave her a paper from inside a book.  
  
"What's this?" she asked.  
  
"A check, duh!" he said, "For $15,000!"  
  
"Oh." she said. She took a set of keys out and gave them to Ash. He took them and took a cell phone out.  
  
Silence. "Yeah, hi, what's goin' on?" he asked.  
  
Ash listened, then said, "I'll be home soon! Don't go worryin' over me."  
  
"No, nothing wrong.Just waiting for somethin'."  
  
"uh-huh, yeah, like I said.."  
  
"Buh-bye sugar." Ash turned it off. Looking at her, he said, "My wife."  
  
"Oh!" she said, "Well, Mr. Ketchum, I have got to go, here-" hands him a piece of paper "call me and tell me how the car's doin'!"  
  
She got in the Thunderbird and left. He used the cell phone again, then waited. After 20 minutes, the Prizm was hooked up to a tow truck, and the driver was Richie! "Yo, Ash, what's happening?" he asked.  
  
"Just bought this car," Ash said.  
  
"Why do you need it-"  
  
"towed? Doesn't work."  
  
"Then why did you buy it?"  
  
"I can fix it, ya know!"  
  
Richie frowned. The trees got thicker, and they were happy to get to the clearing. Ash hoped out and looked around. Richie got out and looked at him.  
  
"Where are ya sugar?" Ash called out. Richie howled with laughter. "Shut up!"  
  
"SUGAR?" Richie choked.  
  
What they heard next made Richie laugh even harder. "Leave my poor little Ashy-Washy alone!"  
  
"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" he yelled.  
  
"Well, let me unhook this car, ASHY-WASHY!" Richie laughed.  
  
"See what you started!" Ash asked. May came out from the trees. She laughed.  
  
"Sorry!" she said, "what the heck is that thing?"  
  
"Er, the car." Ash said.  
  
"And why is it hooked up?"  
  
"Er, it doesn't work."  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
"Oh, knock it off! It'll give me something to do besides bug you!" Ash said. May looked at him.  
  
"Are you sure you know how?" she asked. Ash put his arm around her.  
  
"I wouldn't have bought it if I didn't, sugar!" he said, "And don't you DARE say a word, Richie!"  
  
Richie snickered and said, "Alright, Ashy-Washy!"  
  
Ash turned red, said "Shut up or die!" and walked away. 


	7. Irritating

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace, 30-Vince  
  
***This is just a pointless chapter. You can skip it, if you want***  
  
- 7 -  
  
  
  
Two weeks later, Ash was back under the car, AGAIN. He'd been working non-stop on it.  
  
May skipped over. They were having a house built nearby in the clearing. The car was near a cave.  
  
This would be the perfect time to irritate him!  
  
His shoes were by the left tires, his socks stuffed inside them. He had put them there before climbing under the car.  
  
May got down on her knees. With her index finger, she went up Ash's foot, and her having long nails didn't help the situation!  
  
"STOP IT!!!!" May laughed as she continued to tease him. "Please! Stop it!"  
  
She refused and continued. The lack of space under the car kept Ash from getting away from her.  
  
"Please, please! Stop it!" May knew Ash was begging her to stop. "Pleeaassee! Stop!"  
  
"Sorry, Ashy-Washy, I can't do that!" she laughed.  
  
"Plllleeeeaaaasssseeee! Stoooop it!"  
  
"Naw, I think I'll keep this up!" May giggled. Ash squirmed under the car.  
  
"Please!" he begged her.  
  
"No-o-o-o!" she said. Ash's patience was at an end.  
  
"STOP IT!"  
  
"Fine! You are no fun!" May said. She stopped and got up. Ash came out from under the car.  
  
"Why do you like irritating me?" he asked.  
  
"Because it's so easy to!" May laughed lightly. She stepped back when Ash got up.  
  
"And you thought I was odd!" Ash said. He bent over the engine, looking at the damage.  
  
"You are, but that's what I like about you." Ash looked up at May. She smiled sweetly and looked at the spot in the engine where he was looking at.  
  
"Whatever," he said, getting back down on the ground, about to go back under the car. May got down next to him. Ash looked at her, then did something with the jacks that held the car a few inches above the ground. It rose a half foot higher.  
  
"What's this?" she asked.  
  
"That's the-"  
  
"What's this?"  
  
"Oh, that is-"  
  
"What's this thing here?"  
  
"May, slow down! I can't say three things at once!"  
  
"Sorry Ash." May looked at the pipes and other things under the car. Ash glanced at her, then put one hand against one of the pipes. He went along the sides and bottom of it.  
  
"This one is leaking for some reason," he said. May looked at him.  
  
"Ash, why do you like working on this car so much?" she asked.  
  
"I don't know why I like working on this, I just do," he said, shrugging.  
  
"Oh," she said, "You never stop working on this car."  
  
"So?" Ash looked at her.  
  
"So, you work a little too much."  
  
Ash glanced at her, then at the pipes and darkness. He slid out from under the car, May following him.  
  
"You have got a good point, I do work too much." he said. He picked up all the tools and put them in the trunk of the car. "Why don't we go and do something besides you trying to irritate me?"  
  
"Good idea!" she said. Charmanders and Pikachu looked at them from the trees and bushes. They walked away from the immobilized car. 


	8. Kitty Cat

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace, 30-Vince  
  
- 8 -  
  
"One world-now and forever. Best friends-loyal and true. One dream- that's side by side. There's nothing we can't do. One hand-helping the other. Each heart-beating as one. We live-always together. Sharing the same bright sun. One world. You and me and Pokemon." The radio was turned up. After many weeks, the car finally ran the right way.  
  
"They rush like water.they soar like the wind.they're always with me,  
  
everyday that I begin.they burn like fire.they chill like ice...they take on any challenge.make any sacrifice." Ash sang to it softly. After work, he was on his way home.  
  
"ASH! STOP!" He dead stopped the car.  
  
"Meeeeoooow!" Ash put the shift under Reverse and drove backwards a few inches. He got out and looked around. May trotted over and picked up a.cat?  
  
"You almost ran over Mewie!" she cried.  
  
"Mewie?" Ash asked, "Who's that?"  
  
"My kitten!" she said, inspecting the kitten, "You ok Mewie?"  
  
"Meow!" it purred.  
  
"And when did you get 'Mewie'?" he asked.  
  
"Today."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"I wanted one!"  
  
"That's.nice," Ash said, looking at the black kitten in May's arms. "Aren't those bad luck?"  
  
"Don't tell me you're becoming superstitious!" May said.  
  
"No, I'm not," he said.  
  
"Good!" Mewie purred softly. Ash frowned. May looked at him.  
  
"Can we please go inside?" he asked. The house had been finished two  
  
weeks before.  
  
"Yeah, I guess," May said. Ash followed her into the house. Mewie jumped out of May's grasp and onto the floor. It pranced about the room, dancing and meowing.  
  
Ash sat down and watched Mewie. Mewie hopped up next to him on the couch. It put its tiny paws on his knees and stared around.  
  
"This cat isn't so bad, once you get used to it," he said.  
  
"Kitten!" May said.  
  
"Whatever!" he said.  
  
"K-i-t-t-e-n. Kitten!"  
  
"Fine! Kitten!!" Ash gave up on that fight. There was no point to trying to win that one.  
  
"You don't like Mewie?" May cried.  
  
"No! I like Mewie! I like Mewie!" he said, sighing. He petted Mewie quickly. Mewie nipped at his fingers playfully. "Hey! This 'kitten' is trying to bite me!"  
  
"No she isn't!" May said, running her hand along Mewie's back.  
  
"Yes she is!"  
  
"No!"  
  
"Yes!"  
  
"NO!"  
  
"YEEEES!"  
  
"Meow! Meow!" Mewie curled up on Ash's lap, and looked up at him with  
  
round, dark eyes. His wide shoulders dropped slightly when he looked at cute little harmless Mewie.  
  
"You win." 


	9. Butterfree Books and Hot Summer Days

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace, 30-Vince  
  
- 9 -  
  
Mewie jumped up on the table. She pounced off it, onto a chair. She curled up there, waiting for someone to come along.  
  
After a couple of minutes, Ash walked in. He dropped onto the couch,  
  
exhausted from work. His hair was stuck to his forehead with sweat.  
  
"Meow?" she purred. Ash looked at the kitten, then at his shoes. He  
  
played with the laces, until they came undone and slid off easily.  
  
Wearily, he pulled his shirt off and let it fall to the floor. He lied down on the couch, sighing, finally being able to sleep. Mewie jumped off the chair and over to the couch.  
  
It crawled onto his stomach, and meowed. "Get off me."  
  
"Mew."  
  
"I said get off," Ash said.  
  
"Meow! Mew!" Mewie curled up, and meowed.  
  
"GET OFF!"  
  
"Ash, Mewie just wants to be with you." May looked around the corner at him. Ash glanced at her, then at Mewie.  
  
"Fine, Mewie can stay here!" he growled. He tried to sleep, with the tiny kitten curled up on his stomach.  
  
After five minutes he fell asleep. May decided after an hour to read her favorite book, The Flight of Butterfree. She grabbed it from the bookshelf near the door and went in the living room. She fell down into one of the chairs, and opened the book.  
  
"Matt took the poke ball with Butterfree out and threw it into the sky. The purple butterfly pokemon came out, and screeched in excitement." May read it to herself.  
  
"Pika?" Pikachu hopped up onto her lap. "Pikachu?"  
  
"Hi Pikachu," May said. She turned the page. "Liz took out her poke ball and unleashed her butterfly pokemon. Matt looked over at her, then at the Butterfree. 'Find your mate, Butterfree! I know one will like you!' he yelled, waving at the pokemon."  
  
"Pikachu pik pikapi pikachu! /That sounds a little like what Ash said!"  
  
"What?"  
  
"When Ash let his Butterfree go! It found another Butterfree it liked and." Pikachu explained the details.  
  
"Ash did that?" May asked, glancing up from her book. "He never told me about that."  
  
"He didn't?" they looked over at him. Pikachu shook it's head and left. May looked at her book.  
  
"'Breeee!' Butterfree screeched and flew over to the other Butterfree. It did the Courtship Dance. Soon both Butterfree were doing the dance. 'Your Butterfree likes mine,' Liz said. Matt looked at her and smiled. 'And yours mine.' They smiled at each other."  
  
May looked up at Ash, then continued to read her book. After reading half the book, she looked up again. Then looked at the book again. "Matt sighed and looked at Liz. 'Lizzie, come on! Just one little kiss isn't going to hurt anyone!' Matt cried. 'But.' Liz looked at him in distress. She thought about what he said, then frowned. 'Please?' he asked. 'Alright.' Liz kissed Matt quickly, then backed away."  
  
May set the book down, and sat there silently. She looked at Ash again, for the millionth time in the past hour, and smiled slightly. Slowly, she got up and walked over.  
  
"Ash?" May got down on her knees on the floor, and put her head on his chest. Mewie stirred awake, and meowed softly. She shoed the kitten away.  
  
Mewie jumped down and pranced over to the door and sat down by it for the breeze.  
  
"Hey, get up." May kissed him softly. Ash groaned. He opened his right eye, curious at why she bothered him.  
  
"What do ya want?" he murmured, rousing out of his sleep.  
  
"Can I ask you something?" she asked.  
  
"Of course!" he said. His smile reassured her that he was in a good mood, even though he was still tired.  
  
"Uh, Ash, can we have a baby? Pleeeaaasee?!?!?!?!?!" she asked. Ash went wide-eyed.  
  
"May, are you even sure you could go though that?" He gave her a skeptical look.  
  
"YES!"  
  
"Geez, you don't have to scream in my face. Yeesch!" Ash winced in pain. He sat up, and looked at her.  
  
"Sorry Ash. Why are you being so uptight about it?" May sat on the couch next to him, frowning at him.  
  
"I just don't want to get us into something we can't get out of," Ash said, hugging her softly. May frowned even more then before.  
  
"But what is the problem? Why can't we?" she whined.  
  
"Uh." Ash frowned slightly. There was no problem. His job was holding up, and they had a car that actually worked. "Fine, if you want to that badly, we'll do it."  
  
"Thank you Ash!!!" May smiled at him. Ash couldn't help but do the same.  
  
'I guess it won't be too bad,' he thought. 


	10. What A Wonderful Nine Months NOT!

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace, 30-Vince  
  
- 10 -  
  
The doctor walked in, looking at a chart. She looked at it, then said, "Mr. and Mrs. Ketchum?"  
  
"What?!" Ash and May asked in unison.  
  
"Mrs. Ketchum, you're two weeks pregnant!" she announced. May gasped. Ash looked surprised.  
  
"Two weeks? Are you sure?" he questioned her.  
  
"Yes, I'm sure," the doctor said.  
  
"Then why did the last test say negative?" Ash asked.  
  
"On the chart, the last one said 'positive'," she said. Ash suddenly looked confused.  
  
"Someone probably read it wrong, Ash," May said.  
  
"How do you mistake 'positive' for 'negative'?!" he asked.  
  
"It might have been that in-training doctor here. She never reads the charts carefully, I must tell her to pay more attention to what it says." the doctor started. She shook her head. "Well, go home and relax. It'll be 8 ½ months before you have to worry about this baby coming. If you asked my husband, he would usually say 'Get ready for A LOT of pain for until the baby is born.'"  
  
Ash laughed at that comment. May glared at him. "THAT IS NOT FUNNY, ASH KETCHUM!!!" she hollered.  
  
"Sorry, sugar," he muttered, wincing. Sulking, he followed the doctor out.  
  
***A couple months later***  
  
"AAAAAAAAASSSSSSSSSSH!"  
  
"What now?" he sighed. The first couple months, he fussed about every  
  
little thing that happened to May. Now, when he started to quit it, this started up.  
  
"Help me!"  
  
"Let me guess, can't get up?"  
  
"Yeah," May said, squirming in her chair. Ash made a lo-o-ong sigh  
  
"Will you please do me a favor and sit on the couch instead? You hardly ever need help getting up when there." Ash groaned when he pulled her up. "My spine is about to snap."  
  
"OK," she squeaked.  
  
"Thank you!" he said, sitting down on the couch and shooing the kitten away, "I swear, by the looks of it, you are probably going to have twins! Geez!"  
  
"What's that mean?" she asked, sitting down next to him.  
  
"It means that your tummy is getting a little big," Ash said. He regretted it instantly, because May got a very morbid look, and looked ready to cry, again. "B-but you look pretty t-that way!"  
  
"No I don't." she said gloomily, "I feel like I weigh as much as a van, and look like I just swallowed one."  
  
"No you don't! So don't even think that!" he said. May leaned back against him, shaking her head. Smiling slightly, Ash put his hands on her stomach. "The baby is kicking again."  
  
"I know."  
  
***April 10 of the next year***  
  
"AAAASSSSSHHHH!" May cried, "GET OVER HERE!"  
  
"Why?" Ash trotted over. Once again, he was back to fussing over everything.  
  
"The hospital, quick!" May said. She groaned. "I'm hurting!"  
  
"Alright, let's go!" Ash grabbed their jackets and hurried her out the door. The Prizm, oddly, refused to start. He cursed the car for doing this at the worst time ever. "COME ON! START UP ALREADY!"  
  
He hit the dashboard with his fist, and the car instantly started. May cried that she felt uncomfortable, and Ash couldn't do anything except say something to try and soothe her.  
  
The nurse gave a squeal of pain when Ash, not watching where he was going, ran into her. He apologized quickly, and continued to hurry May through the hospital.  
  
The doctor in the area were they had to go looked familiar. "Duplica?!!" Ash looked at her in surprise.  
  
"Oh, it's you Ash! What are you doing here?" she grinned, "You got yourself married?"  
  
"Ash?" May tugged on his sleeve.  
  
"Duh? Is it that obvious?" Ash said, looking at the plain gold band, "Well, I- oh, I mean WE have a problem."  
  
"Ash?!" She cried, pulling harder.  
  
"What?" Duplica asked.  
  
"Guess why I'm here!"  
  
"ASH?!!" May pulled even harder.  
  
"Oh! Hehehe, silly me!"  
  
"ASH!!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU IF YOU DON'T HELP ME HERE!!!" May yelled in his ear. Ash cringed.  
  
"Yes, May." he said, turning back to Duplica, "Well, Doc, I say you have a patient now!"  
  
"I sure do! Come on May." Duplica took them both and lead the way to a private little room. There were 10-20 of them in the wing of the hospital they were in. "Ash, help May get ready while I get a nurse to help."  
  
After a couple minutes, Duplica and a nurse were ready. Ash sat at the top of the bed, May's head against his chest. "OK, you ready May?" Duplica  
  
questioned softly.  
  
"No." Ash looked at Duplica. She shook her head.  
  
"Well, ready or not it's coming!" she said. The nurse saw the doc nod and trotted over. "It's now or never! Push!"  
  
After only half an hour, Ash started to feel a little nauseated. When Duplica waved to get his attention, and her gloves had a decent amount of blood on them, it started. She had said that she had the baby's head.  
  
"Ash, are you OK?" Duplica asked, noticing how unnaturally pale he was.  
  
"Not really," he said. May didn't notice him start shaking. He motioned for the nurse to help him. She held May up. When she nodded, he bolted.  
  
"Ash-" Duplica started. He didn't hear her. "Oh, poor Ash! He is most  
  
defiantly sick! It's weird that he can't stand the sight of blood though."  
  
After recovering from his nausea, Ash sat down in a chair by the bed. He shut his brown eyes tight. It took a couple minutes, but he got the will back to get back up with May.  
  
He stood up quickly, and returned to his place behind May. She felt him move slightly after a couple minutes. "Duplica, do me a big favor and don't let me see your gloves again," he said.  
  
"OK," she said.  
  
It was a few hours later, when Duplica said the baby was almost out. "You doin' OK, Ash?" she asked.  
  
"I haven't been doing OK since this started!" Ash groaned, feeling like throwing up again.  
  
"It looks like your having more trouble then May!" Duplica giggled. Ash rolled his eyes, then noticed that his shirt was wet. He looked at May. She was hurting. Badly.  
  
"How are you doing sugar?" he asked.  
  
"Ash, it huuuurts." May complained, tears rolling down her cheeks, "Make it stoooop!"  
  
"I can't." he said, "Especially when.I'm having.my own.problems."  
  
Ash didn't bother with the nurse. He hopped down, May crying out in surprise when she fell back. "May, don't worry." Duplica said, "He's just a little queasy, and had to get out of here and fast."  
  
May nodded quickly. Ash made a mental note to apologize to May later. She was having a baby, while he was failing to keep the stuff in his stomach down where it belonged.  
  
"Are you OK?" someone asked. A boy walked in, looking quite ruffled.  
  
"Besides feeling like I want to drop dead, I'm just fine," Ash said sarcastically.  
  
"Oh, what's wrong? Your tummy hurt?" he sat down on the floor next to  
  
Ash.  
  
"Sorta," Ash sighed, thinking about how he hadn't locked the door. "Could you please leave?"  
  
" Why?"  
  
"Er, never mind." Ash stood up, leaning against the door. He felt unsteady on his feet. "Well, it was nice seeing you!"  
  
He quickly left. Cautiously, he opened the door and walked back in. "Feel any better, now that's you've thrown up a million times in 6 hours?  
  
Ash gave May a big, fake, smile. His stomach was still churning. "Yes, I do," he lied.  
  
"Ash, you have yourself a baby girl," Duplica said. Ash trotted over. The baby's little pink face and wrinkled skin, looked adorable.  
  
"What will we name her?" he asked, letting the newborn baby grab hold of his index finger.  
  
"I dunno. Minerva, maybe?" May asked. Ash looked at her.  
  
"Ok, if you want it to be Minerva, it will be," he grinned. Duplica trotted out to let them be alone. 


	11. That's Kidnap!

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace, 30-Vince, 0-Minerva  
  
- 11 -  
  
"May, I-" Ash looked uneasy with himself. She shook her head, and put her hand against his mouth.  
  
"Shh," she said. May felt his lips part slightly under her touch. "Don't worry about it."  
  
"I was gone three-fourths the time! This baby was born, and I wasn't even here!"  
  
"There's a lot of babies born without their daddies being there!" May tried to knock some sense into Ash.  
  
"But they weren't there for a big reason; I wasn't here because of how pathetically weak I am!" Ash sank to the floor in a heap. May gave Minerva to a nurse and hopped down. She embraced him tightly.  
  
"You aren't weak, Ash." she said softly, "You're quite the opposite."  
  
"Prove it." It was obvious that, for some reason, Ash's confidence had dropped.  
  
"Er." May couldn't think of anything. Ash looked at her.  
  
"See?" he said, getting up and walking out. May sat there, bewildered at his behavior. She got up, and took Minerva again.  
  
"Hello?" May looked up.  
  
"What?" she asked, "Grace?"  
  
"That's me," Grace said, "What's her name?"  
  
"Minerva."  
  
"Minerva.? Nice. Can I hold her?" she asked. May looked at her, and hesitantly gave the bundle to Grace. She looked up at May from the little face of Minerva.  
  
"Uh, Grace, please give Minerva back." May said.  
  
"Oh, I can't! I can't! She's too adorable to part from her!" Grace said. May frowned.  
  
"That's nice, but, please, give her back!" May said. Grace looked evilly at her.  
  
"Sorry, but, you remember your advise to me?" Grace asked. May frowned. Their conversation echoed in her head:  
  
"You want a baby?"  
  
"Duh!"  
  
"Well, uh. Oh! Why don't you let, uh, let Ash have the child with someone else, and he let you adopt it?"  
  
"That's an.odd idea, but logical, in a way. Well, let me think it over a few minutes. Go talk to Jessie or something for a few moments."  
  
May looked at Grace. "But, the problem is, Ash ain't here," she commented slyly.  
  
Grace realized that too. "Ah, but he is somewhere in this hospital!"  
  
"I dunno. He left before you came, and isn't feeling very good about himself at the moment," May told her.  
  
"Well, I think I'll take Minerva on a walk. Chow." Grace ran out.  
  
"GRACE! GIVE ME BACK MY DAUGHTER!!!!" May yelled. Grace dead stopped. She turned her head and looked at May.  
  
"Ha." She laughed. "Never."  
  
A nurse saw that May was very angry about something. She trotted over, and pulled on her arm. "Mrs. Ketchum, you are suppose to rest!" she squeaked.  
  
"But, Min-"  
  
"Now, now! You need rest! I'm sure Minerva will be taken care of!" she said. May screamed at her to shut up.  
  
"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING! MY BABY IS BEING KIDNAPPED!!"  
  
"No, she is probably being taken to the nursery," the nurse cringed.  
  
"No, no," May shook her head. She did feel tired, and had very little strength left in her. Her chances against Grace were very bad.  
  
The nurse got her in bed, and left. When she had left, May smirked slightly. Knowing she had already made a scene, she added to it by screaming, at the top of her lungs, "ASH! AAAAASSSSSSHHHHH! HEEEELLLLLPPP!"  
  
She heard chaos outside. Then, a strong voice said, "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"  
  
"Mr. Ketchum, she needs to rest!" a bunch of people tried to convince him.  
  
"YOU CALL HER SCREAMING 'REST'?!?!?!?!?!"  
  
"Ash!" Duplica walked over to him, "What's wrong?"  
  
"They won't let me through!" he said, quieting down.  
  
"Go!" Duplica ordered. "Go on ahead, Ash."  
  
"Thank you!" he said. He opened the door slowly, convincing himself that something was very wrong. "May, what's wrong?"  
  
"Ash." she looked at him, then started crying badly. He walked over and sat down next to her, holding onto her like the Earth would fall apart if he didn't.  
  
"What's wrong? Where's Minerva?" he asked, forgetting about himself. May whipped at the tears with her sleeve, then looked at Ash.  
  
"Well, I had Minerva (sob) and you left in a hurry, looking like you hated yourself (sob), then Grace showed up, talking about how adorable Minerva was, because (sob), as stupid as I am, I let Grace hold Minerva. She said (snifle) she couldn't give her back to me because of it. (sniffle) I told her to give the baby back to me, but she wouldn't. I tried to go after her to get Minerva, but one of the nurses stopped me, saying I needed rest. Ash, you have got to get Minerva back!" she cried.  
  
Ash frowned at her. "But we're in a hospital! They don't allow a person to take a child out of the building unless it is the parents that are!" he said.  
  
"Does she happen to work here or something?" May asked. Ash nodded.  
  
"Yeah, why? Wait.oh." He stood up hurriedly. "Get some rest. I'll go look for Minerva."  
  
"Alright, Ash." May let herself fall into the pillows, then turned and looked at Ash. "Oh, and when you find Minerva, be careful with her."  
  
A smile appeared on him. "I know," he said, leaving to search.  
  
Duplica walked in carefully. "Ash looked steamed," she commented.  
  
"Yeah, I guess both of us are," May yawned.  
  
"Why?" May told her what happened. Duplica gasped. "That is the last thing you and Ash should have to go through!"  
  
"." May looked at her. Duplica said good-bye and left. Sleep decided to not come after all. Her thoughts revolved around wanting her baby found.  
  
"THE HOSPITAL IS NOW LOCKING ALL DOORS EXCEPT IN EMERGINCY.." Rang over the PA.  
  
"Come on Ash." May breathed. Just as she was about to fall asleep, the door swung open.  
  
"(weeze) I haven't had to run so fast! Dumb guard!" He grinned at her from the doorway. "How you doing?"  
  
"I dunno. Fine, I guess," May said. She looked at him. "Well?"  
  
Ash shook his head sadly. "Nope, nothing yet."  
  
May frowned. He sat down on the edge of the bed. "We'll find her, Maisy Daisy."  
  
That old nickname from when they were small children lifted her spirit up a bit. "Ash, I'm scared," she whispered.  
  
"Shh, I know." Ash said, "Just get to sleep. When you get out of the hospital, we will look for Minerva some more." He pulled his shoes off, and shut the light off.  
  
"Ash!" May grabbed his sleeve. They were back at the house. He pulled away from her.  
  
"May, trust me, I know just what I'm doing!" he said, brushing past her and the pokemon.  
  
"But-"  
  
"I'll be back in a couple hours!" he said, climbing onto Night Breeze. He yelled at Night to go.  
  
Knock, knock, knock. Jessie opened the door of Grace's house. It was a while later, and Night Breeze was hiding near the side of the house. "Jessie, where is Grace?" Ash asked her.  
  
"In here," she said, escorting him through the house. She opened another door, and let him in.  
  
"Oh, Ash!" Grace trotted over, and gave him a big hug. He pushed her away.  
  
"Give me Minerva!" he snapped. Grace shook her head.  
  
"No, Ash, I can't," she said. Grace saw him flinch slightly.  
  
"And why can't you?" he asked, trying to stay calm.  
  
"I.just can't." 


	12. She's Alright!

Ages: 20-Ash, 20-May, 19-Grace, 30-Vince, 0-Minerva  
  
- 12 -  
  
May paced back and forth. After a while, she started getting worried. It had been hours by now. She shook her head and got into the Prizm.  
  
It roared to life. May carefully maneuvered it. Soon, she saw the buildings and houses. She heard a 'nah' nearby.  
  
She stopped the car and got out. May saw Night Breeze nearby. "Night!" she yelled.  
  
Night trotted over and nuzzled her. May laughed and petted Night. "Where is Ash?" she asked. Night trotted off towards one of the houses. It went around to the back of one.  
  
"I said NO!" May looked through one of the windows. She gasped.  
  
"Minerva!" she whispered, seeing the baby sleeping soundly on the bed. Her sight moved from the baby to the pair standing nearby, arguing. "Ash."  
  
"But-"  
  
"You will do ANYTHING to get me, won't you?" he snarled, grinding his  
  
teeth.  
  
"No," Grace said, looking at a table. Exeggcute sat on the table. Ash looked at them for a few seconds. Their eyes were glowing red.  
  
"Why.are.they.staring.at.me.like.that.?" he asked, his eyes half closed. May looked at him, and at the pokemon.  
  
"Ash is being hypnotized." May said to herself. The Exeggcute stopped. Ash's head dropped, his chin hitting against his chest.  
  
"Ash?" Grace waved a hand in front of his face.  
  
"Yes.?" he said in a slight drawl. Grace smiled.  
  
"Name the starter pokemon."  
  
"Bulbasaur.Charmander.Squirtle.Chikorita.Cynaquil.Tododile."  
  
"Good," Grace said. She knew he was under the spell. May watched them from outside. She got a poke ball that had a Vulpix in it and threw it. "Use a tiny Ember!" she said, pulling the window open.  
  
"Vuuul!" May remembered when Misty told her about the Executor. Fire  
  
would break the spell.  
  
"Waa!" Ash shook his head. He looked at the window and grinned. He mouthed, "Thanks!"  
  
"You know, Minerva is quite cute when she isn't crying," Grace commented. Ash looked at her, the window, and Minerva.  
  
"You know, I need a.hug? Pleeeaaassseee?" he said. May had a feeling  
  
about what Ash was up to. Grace blinked, then walked over.  
  
"If I didn't know better, I'd say you're acting weird," she said. Ash looked over her head, ignoring the statement.  
  
"Go use the front door, and get in the house!" he whispered. May nodded. She ran to the front, and pushed the door open. Careful not to make any noise, she snuck into Grace's room.  
  
"Ok, Grace, shut your eyes, so I can give you a present!" he said, faking cheerfulness. Grace nodded and shut her eyes tight. Ash walked over to Minerva, and picked her up.  
  
May stood in the doorway, looking at him. Ash gave Minerva to her, and said, "Run."  
  
She nodded and left, not bothering with trying to stay silent. Ash could hear the click click click of her shoes on the tile. Grace looked at him in anger.  
  
"You tricked me!" she said.  
  
"Duh! Well, buh-bye Grace, it was nice seeing ya!" Ash ran to catch up with May.  
  
"How is she?" Ash asked, panting from running. May looked at Minerva's little face.  
  
"She looks fine," she said. Ash slid down into the driver's seat. He turned the key and turned the wheel.  
  
"Um, where's Arctic?" May asked, when they pulled up to the house. Charmanders looked at them curiously.  
  
"I don't know." Ash said. He helped her out, and took Minerva. They  
  
walked through the trees  
  
They came to a clearing nearby. Arctic was in the center, a little gray thing by her. "What? That's a-" May had began to try to explain, but Ash cut her off.  
  
"Baby! A baby horse!" he said. Minerva giggled and laughed when the foal wobbled over and sniffed her.  
  
"Nah."  
  
"Let's name him, um, Dream," May said, holding onto Ash's arm as if death was coming. She felt him shiver.  
  
"Alright."  
  
"Minerva is going to LOVE Dream when she gets older," May said.  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"Let's just hope we survive her teenage years," she commented.  
  
"Huh?!?"  
  
"She'll want EVERYTHING!" she laughed.  
  
"She had better not be like you!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"If she gets a boyfriend, we. Are. DOOMED!" Ash and May laughed.  
  
"But why will we be 'DOOMED'?" she asked.  
  
"You act weirdly around me!" Ash sulked.  
  
"That's because I LOVE you! What's wrong with that?" May asked.  
  
"It's the WAY you love me that's wrong!"  
  
"Don't even go there, unless you want to die before you turn 22!" Ash  
  
snickered at her threat.  
  
"Whatever," he said, walking away, holding Minerva carefully. 


End file.
